Starke County NewsHawk

John Brooke guilty of six of seven counts

tturner — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 02:13:20 +0000

KNOX – A Starke Circuit Court jury found John Brooke, the last of the Bass Lake Shootout gang , guilty of 6 of 7 counts against him. More once story is written.

O-D Junior Christina Rotering dies

tturner — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 04:13:12 +0000

GROVERTOWN- A Oregon-Davis teen who courageously battled Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma for four years died Saturday morning.

Christina M. Rotering, 17, passed away at 3:00 A.M. Saturday, April 9, 2011 in her home.

Rotering, who continued to be active in school up until the last months of her battle with illness, especially as team manager for the Lady Bobcats, drew the admiration of friends, family and classmates. Her rally call, “Fight Like a Girl”,. will be remembered for years to come.

Last winter, she was named the 2010-2011 Homecoming princess. Christina was a member of the National Honor Society and the O-D Student Council.

Funeral Mass will be Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. (Central Time) at Oregon-Davis High School with Rev. Father Anthony Spanley officiating. Burial will be at the Holy Cross Cemetery, Hamlet. Friends may call Tuesday from 3:00 to 8:00 p.m. and Wednesday one hour prior to the service at Oregon-Davis High School, Hamlet.

Christina was born June 23, 1993 in Plymouth, Indiana to Theodore and Amy (Lohse) Rotering. She lived in the area all of her life.

She was active in the Girl Scouts, Relay for Life and V.I.B.E of the Koontz Lake Missionary Church.

Christina is survived by her parents, Amy and Ted of Grovertown; one brother, Aron Rotering of Grovertown; grandparents, Debra Bixel of Plymouth and Dave Lohse of Plymouth; her great-grandfather, Ralph Lamborn of Plymouth and many aunts, uncles, cousins and countless friends. She was preceded in death by grandparents, Floyd and Eileen Rotering, great-grandmother, Doris Lamborn and one uncle, David Rotering.

In lieu of flowers, the family wishes memorial contributions to be made to the family or one of the following organizations: Sunshine Kids Foundation (2814 Virginia, Houston, TX, 77098); Indiana Make a Wish Foundation; the Holy Cross Catholic Church or Memorial Children’s Hospital (attn: Tammy, 615 N. Michigan St., South Bend, IN, 46601). Rannells Funeral Home, Hamlet Chapel is handling arrangements. To leave online condolences go to rannellsfuneralhome.com.

12-year-old Aerielle a national champion wrestler

tturner — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 04:14:16 +0000

By TERRY TURNER
KNOX – Aerielle McIntire is your normal, active all-American type girl.
The 12-year-old 7th grader plays volleyball, runs track and plays soccer. She’s even on both a league soccer team and a traveling team. And she is also being inducted into the National Junior Honor Society this school year.
Intelligent and normal, right.
But perhaps her favorite sport is wrestling. And she’s good enough at it to be a three-time national champion.
Last weekend, at Eastern Michigan University, Aerielle went 5-0 in the 75-pound weight class.
In her championship match, she pinned Kaylee Bockert of Fort Wainwright, Alaska in 2:25 to capture her third United States Girls Wrestling Association National championship.
“This year was much more difficult than last year,” said Aerielle of the five matches she wrested..
In her semi-finals match, it took an overtime to beat Meline Smith of Bay City, Michigan. Enroute to her title, Aerielle also wrestled girls from South Carolina, Wisconsin and Ohio.
Its not just girls she’s beating , this year, wrestling for the Knox Middle School boys team, she not only went 14-3, she also captured her weight class championships at the Northern State Conference and Kankakee Valley Invitational meets.
As a sixth grader, she was third at the boys state championships. Aerielle, the daughter of Charles and Oliv[a McIntire, is a member of the One-On-One Wrestling Club team. She’s been wrestling since she was six.
The club, which has been around for 18 years, has a history of developing successful wrestlers.
The club has had two state championships, and has had teams place in the top three six times.
Individually, over the years, the club has had 23 individuals that have won a total of 49 state championships.

Sabre Manufacturing grows with Wabash National agreement

tturner — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 02:23:10 +0000

KNOX -Sabre Manufacturing, which builds environmental waste containers in its Knox production plant, has contracted with Wabash National Corporation of Lafayette to build 2,500 environmental waste containers in a five-year deal.

Wabash National is the United States’ largest builder of semi-trailer bodies, and the additional work will mean initially 100 employees, mostly welders, in 2011, and another 100 employees moving forward after the initial start-up.

Sabre has grown substantially since it first came to Starke County in 2005, when it employed approximately 15-20 workers, and now has over 130 employees, mostly welders, in the production of the environmental waste containers.

Wabash National Corp. struggled to remain solvent as the economic recession hit, but it has traditionally been one of Lafayette’s most reliable manufacturing concerns.

Its employment fell below 900 as poor economic conditions reduced the demand for semi-trailer bodies, but has rebounded to almost 3,000 workers this year.

The company intends to add between 400-500 jobs in the coming months, in addition to the 200 that will be working on the Sabre line when it is in full production.

Wabash National will invest approximately $2.5 million as it ramps up to build the containers.

The company was expected to appear before the Lafayette city and Tippecanoe County councils this week to seek tax abatements for the improvements at the plant..

Starke County Economic Development Foundation executive director Charles Weaver said Thursday that Sabre is a very important part of the community, and that he expects to see Sabre to continue to grow at its Knox manufacturing plant in the coming years.

J.W. Hicks expanding, to add 20 jobs

tturner — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 02:18:07 +0000

KNOX – Knox Industrial Park manufacturer J.W. Hicks has modified the expansion it announced last fall.

Brian Hicks, his father Jim Hicks, and a project engineer appeared before the Knox City Council last week to explain the changes.

In all, the completed project will include a $2.5 million, 110,000 sq. ft. addition, and eventually, 20 new employees. The additional employees will mean approximately $650,000 in added payroll at the plant. Also, J.W. Hicks will be purchasing additional land within the industrial park, according to Starke County Economic Development executive director Charles Weaver.

J.W. Hicks will have a significant fvootprint in the Knox Industrial Park, with the orignial addition north of the present plant, and the 110,000 sq. foot addition just south of the new Reagent Chemical plant on Pacific Avenue.

J.W. Hicks representatives will appear before the city council at its next meeting to request an additional abatement beyond the one it received last fall.

J.W. Hicks, which is a quality refractory supplier of equipment for handling, treating and controlling the flow of molten metals , is headquartered in Merrillville, where it maintains a manufacturing and warehousing operation.

The additional facilities and operations in Knox will increase J.W. Hicks’ capacity in providing services, recycling and manufacturing.

Cockfighters sentenced in Knox City Court

tturner — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 01:42:11 +0000

KNOX – Knox Circuit Court Judge Charles Hasnerl sentenced 33 individuals Thursday who had agreed to plea agreements relating to the February 26 arrests near North Judson, near County Roads 400N and 100W when police raided a cockfight.

All of the men sentenced were charged with misdemeanors, for attending an animal righting contests. A translator was on hand to insure that the men, who were mostly of Hispanic origin, understood the court proceedings.

Hasnerl sentenced the 33 to 12 months in the county jail, with 10 months suspended, two stayed and, in addition, they received 12 months of non-reporting probation.

Hasnerl told the men that if all their paperwork was completed within 90 days, and if they did not get into trouble over the coming year, and did not get caught frequenting a business that served alcoholic beverages as their main avocation, they would not have to return to Starke County.

There were originally 67 men who were scheduled to appear before Hasnerl, but some had previously pled not guilty.

Of the 58 scheduled for Thursday’s court session, three decided not to take the plea bargain. The bulk of the others had either obtained attorneys, or had previously pled not guilty and have legal representation. THirteen didnot show up for the curt hearing on the misdemeanor charges.

Attorneys from Indianapolis, Lafayette, the Chicago area, Merrillville and Schererville are representing some of the men.

Hasnerl said that he expects the bulk of the cases to be completed before the end of April.

Eleven men previously appeared in Starke Circuit Court for initial hearing relating to felony charges against them.

All eleven men that appeared before Circuit Court Kim Hall on March 3 were charged with a Class D felony, Animal Fighting Contest, and allegedly had roosters that were at the location to participate in the cockfights. Three of the men originally in the Starke County Jail had had immigration holds placed on them.

Bass Lake Shootout

tturner — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 01:36:37 +0000

KNOX – It is beginning to look like the last two members of the Bass Lake Shootout gang, John Brooke and Kim Hitchens, will go to trial.
In February 2010, 26-year-old Michael Drogosz engaged in a shootout with Starke County Sheriff’s Police near Bass Lake after two officers had attempted to serve an Illinois warrant on Drogosz. Police eventually captured Drogosz and his childhood friend, John Brooke, who was renting the home, and who arrived at the scene wearing body armor and carrying aa assault weapon.
In all police eventually arrested Drogosz, Brooke, Brooke’s girlfriend Hitchens, James Reed and Burlie Hardison.
The ti• Brooke, 23, of North Judson, was originally charged with six felony counts, including possession and manufacture of Molatov cocktails and a pipe bomb. In court, Brooke several times referred to meline of the events surrounding the almost cult-like members of Drogosz’ gang began in Naperville, Il., where Drogosz stole an exotic bird. Soon after, he was brought to Starke County, where he grew up, and the purposes of the gang expanded from there.
Police, in interviews with those arrested and papers found in the home, determined that Drogosz and members of the gang had planned to kill police and hold up several banks in Knox.
Drogosz, the ringleader of the Bass Lake shootout, agreed to a plea bargain. Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall accepted the state’s plea agreement with Drogosz, and sentenced him to 30 years each for two counts of attempted murder, and ten years for conspiracy to commit armed robbery. The sentences will be served consecutively
Brooke was a collector of guns and rifles, including some assault rifles.
There, the Drogosz and the other members planned to have a shootout and then rob two or three banks in nearby Knox. Drogosz had told the gang members he would not go back to prison.
But police, serving an Illinois warrant for Drogosz arrest, arrived before Drogosz was completely prepared. The deadly shootout ensued, with police eventually arresting the members of the gang.
• the 26-year-old Miehael Drogosz fired 50-60 shots at sheriff’s police during the shootout. Drogosz was originally charged with 11 counts, but he was se 70 years in prison.
• Brooke, 23, of North Judson, was originally charged with six felony counts, including possession and manufacture of Molatov cocktails and a pipe bomb. In court, Brooke several times referred to planning to kill six or seven police officers. Hall sentenced Brooke to two counts of attempted murder.
• Hitchens failed in her attempt to receive a plea bargain that would have reduced her charges to just one, assisting a criminal; she also has a charge of possession and manufacture of a destructive device.
• James Reed received ten total years in prison, with four suspended. He will also serve four years on probation. His counts were for conspiracy to commit armed robbery.
• Burlie Hardeson’s plea bargain was for theft (stealing the steel to make the body armor the gang planned to use during shootouts with police and at the banks); and unlawful possession of body armor

Brooke, 23, of North Judson, was originally charged with six felony counts, including possession and manufacture of Molatov cocktails and a pipe bomb. In court, Brooke several times referred to killing police officers. He received a sentence of six years, with much of that suspended.
• Dustin Scott, who traveled to Illinois and brought Drogosz to Bass Lake. He was sentenced to 39 months for assisting a criminal. He also will serve 12 months on probation.

Glenn a Four Star School

tturner — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 03:41:27 +0000

WALKERTON – John Glenn High School has been identified as a “Four Star School” for the 2009-10 school year, according to the Indiana Department of Education.

Cock Fighters in Knox City Court

tturner — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 03:40:50 +0000

KNOX – Sixty-one of the men charged with misdemeanors for their participation of had hearings in Judge Charles Hasnerl’s Knox City Court.

Thirty men charged with Attending an Animal Fighting Contest appeared before Judge Hasnerl Monday evening.

The charges are from a cock fighting raid northeast of North Judson on February 26th.

Attending an animal fighting contest is a Class A Misdemeanor. Twenty-three of those charged pled “guilty” and seven pled “not guilty”

Apparently some of the men have attorneys from Indianapolis, Merrillville and Chicago..

Thirty-one other defendants charged with the same crime were in Judge Hasnerl’s court Wednesday.

Those who pled guilty will return to the court the last week of March.

Eleven men captured in the raid are charged with a Class D Felony charge of Animal Fighting Contest.

They had their initial hearings in Starke Circuit Court last week.

Four that remain in jail are illegal immigrants, and will eventually be taken by federal authorities.

It is possible that the felony charges could be lowered to misdemeanors, and some may be able to plea bargain.

Jays Win Sectional

tturner — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 17:21:07 +0000

WINAMAC – North Judson will host the Class 2A Regional next Saturday, and as expected, they will playing in it.

It wasn’t easy getting by physical Winamac to win the sectional, just as in their two regular seasons meetings, the Warriors made a game of it.

North Judson, relying on a suffocating full court defense, beat the Warriors for the third time, pulling away in the final minutes for a 64-53 win.

The Bluejays are a multi-faceted offense, with a lot of weapons, but it was their defense that bought them this championship.

The Jays jumped out to an early lead, going into the second quarter with a 19-7 advantage, mostly behind juniors Winston Yergler and Kendall Hochstedler. Yergler had six of his game-high 23 points in the first eight minutes, along with three rebounds. Hochstedler drilled two three-pointers and had three steals in the first quarter.

Winamac fought back. Two minutes into the third quarter, the Warriors took the lead for the first and only time, at 33-31. They upped the margin to four, before Yergler tied the game at 35-35, and an Andrew Frasure steal and free throw got Judson the lead back for good, with two minutes left in the third quarter.

Frasure fed John Eckert inside and the Bluejays were up by three, and Winamac would never get closer for the rest of the game.

“I thought we changed the complexion of the game with a total pressure defense,” said North Judson coach Ryan Bales. “Andrew Frasure willed us to win, he played like a senior tonight.

“Kendall’s threes (he finished with 14 points) got us going early, and his, Winston and Andrew’s defense got us where we needed (to a good lead). Hochstedler’s defense on (Zach) Shidler was a big key.

“John (Eckert) worked hard inside, he got (their big men) in foul trouble. His attacking the rim, and his mentality on offense carried over to his defense.”

Eckert pulled away 12 rebounds, he scored 12 points, and was big in the fourth quarter as Judson held Winamac to just one basket until it was too late for a Warrior comeback.

“We knew we had to get John more involved in the offense,” said Frasure, who scored 12 points himself. “We had a couple plays set up especially for him.

Eckert has worked especially hard year in building up his endurance against the physical inside play of teams like Winamac.

“It was kind of rough in there, but I just kept going after the ball,” Eckert said of his stellar inside play.

Dustin Knapp had three assists. “Knapp went in there (at times) when we needed a lift, and while he was in there, we were able to build on our lead.

The Bluejays take a 22-1 record into the regional.

“It’ll be great to be at home,” said Yergler.